For 16 years, UC Merced — the youngest in the UC system — has had among its aspirations the goal of helping to prepare medical professionals. Now the state has affirmed that it will cover the bond payments of over $200 million to create this next great expansion of our campus and accelerate our university’s already powerful momentum.
The new building will be home to our public health and psychological sciences faculties as well as our medical education program which, in concert with UCSF and UCSF-Fresno, will begin enrolling BS-to-MD students in fall 2023. In all, it will support approximately 2,200 students a year — a giant step toward our plan to grow to 15,000 students by 2030.
The future benefits to the public health of the San Joaquin Valley will be immense. Our medical education program will be educating local students, grounded in their communities, to address the specific health needs of the Valley. We will expand our medical education and related faculty, which will of course include health-care practitioners who will immediately have an impact on a chronically undeserved population.
And with this monumental investment by the state and UC, the reputation of UC Merced will continue to rise.
The original plan for this university included a medical school (if you haven’t already, read the 2009 UC Merced history The Fairy Shrimp Chronicles for some of that story). It has taken time — but the story of UC Merced is one of relentless ambition and perseverance. This week’s announcement makes clear that our legacy of access, excellence and determination has been acknowledged, that our future prospects are sound, and that our best days are still ahead.
Sincerely,
Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D.
Chancellor
